Pneumatic-despatch-tube system



.(No Model.) 2 megs-sheet 1.

G. F. PIKE.

PNEUMATIG DBSPATGH TUBE SYSTEM. No. 566,015. v Patented Aug. 18, 1896.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

- 0. P. PIKE. PNEUMATIG DESPATOH TUBE SYSTEM.

v No. 566,015, Patented Aug. 18, 1896;

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I I 1? k M J, al a To all whom, it may concern:

UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFIC CHARLES F. PIKE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PNEU MATlC-DESPAT CH-TU BE SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,015, dated August 18, 1896. Application filed May 31,1895. Serial No. 551,222. (No model.)

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. PIKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic-Despatch-Tube Systems, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention has relation to pneumaticdespatch-tube systems wherein there are a number of stations with inlet and outlet tubes joining the main-line tube and provided with switches, receivers, and transmitters. In pneumatic-despatch-tube systems with cen-. tral and sub stations as heretofore constructed, the carriers are sent from the main to the substations,the switch-operating mechanism for operating the switches at the substations being located at the central station. Consequently when necessary to send a carrier from one substation to another substation in advance it is necessary to send it to the central station and then from the central station to the advance substation.

The object of my invention is to avoid the double handling of a carrier and insure greater rapidity of despatching by providing each station with switch-operating mechanism by means of which a carrier can be sent from any substation to any advance substation of the line.

A further object of my invention is to prevent collision by giving control of the line to the central station or substation sending the carrier, said control consisting in rendering the remaining substations or central and sub stations inoperative and afterward restoring them to an operative condition by the action of the carrier.

My invention accordingly consists of the constructions, arrangements, and combinations of the parts, as hereinafter shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan of a pneumatic-despatchtube system having a central station and substations and mechanism for operating the switches and controlling the line which embodies my improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan of the operating and controlling devices for a substation in its normal position. Fig. 3 is a similar View showing the device in position to renderthe substation inoperative. Fig. 4 is a plan of the operating-levers. Fig. 5 is an end view of the same.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, A is the transmitter, provided with the gate a of the outlet-tube A of the central station E.

19, b b and b are the operating-levers for setting the switches and rendering the line in operative and are pivotally mounted on apin 5 which is supported at its ends by the bearings b andb? (See more plainly Fig. 4.) To the bearing b is connected a current-wire so. To the levers b, 6 and b are secured the contact-springs b b and b for setting the switches of the different stations by making a circuit when raised against the contacts 6, c and 6 (see more plainly Fig. 5,) which are secured to the bar I) by means of the screws Z7 F9 and Z9 b is not provided with a contact-spring, as it is not employed to set a switch. The contacts are insulated and provided with current-wires.

I2 I) I) are contact-arms formed on the levers b b and 19 respectively, and make contact with the contact-plates 4, 5, and 6 to lock or render the system inoperative. The operating-lever Z) is not provided with a like contact-ar1n and contact-plate,'as it is not necessary to lock the system when sending a carrier to the first station. The operatinglevers 19, 6 Z2 and b are also provided with the locking-arms Z)", Z)", I)", and I)".

The mechanism for locking or rendering the line inoperative is composed of the helix 0, provided with the core or armature 0, its lower end being wide to engage the arms I)". On its upper end is formed the conical head 0 and groove 0 The trip 0 holds the armature in its normal position and is withdrawn by the action of the magnet 0 Theend c of the bell-crank lever c rests in the groove 0 The bell-crank c is pivoted at 0 The pin 0, which is free to slide in the opening a into the transmitter A is pivoted to the end 0 ofthe bell-crank lever c". When the parts are in the normal position shown in Fig. 2, the operating-levers can be raised to. make contact and a carrier can be inserted in the transmitter A Should the magnet c be energized from another station, the trip 0' will be attracted from the head .0 of the armature 0, allowing it to drop, its lower end passing down behind the arm 19 which prevents the operating-lever being raised, and at the same time pin o is caused to enter the transmitter A acting as an obstruction to preventa carrier being introduced, as shown in Fig. Thus the station is made inoperative until the helix 0 is energized to cause the armature c to return to its normal position.

In Fig. 1 the connection and location of the parts described are shown. It will be observed that the central station E is equipped with the three contacts e, 6 and 6 contactplates 4 and 5, contact-plate G'bein-g unnecessary, as no carrier would be sent from the transmitting end of the central station to its receiving end through the tube A. At substation E the contacts 6 and e and the contact plates 4, 5, and 6 are used. At substation E contact a and contact-plates 5 and 6 are used. At substation E only contact-plate 6 is'necessary. Contact 6 is connected to the switch at substation E by means of the wire 1. All of the contacts 6 are connected to the switch of substation E by means of the wires 2. All of the contacts a are connected to the switch of substation E by means of the wires 3. When an operating-lever is raised to contactat any station, the switch of the station bearing the same number as that of the contact is opened or set. Any construction of switch may be employed, and as it forms no part of this invention it is not shown. The magnets 0 of the several stations are connected in the wire 7, which has ground connections at both of its ends. At each station the contact-plates that are numbered L, 5, or 6, which may be located there, are connected to wire 7 by the wires 9 and 10 and the con tact-arms 19 to the same wire by means of the wire 8, which is provided with the battery 0, the lower end of the arm 17 being insulated from the arm itself. When the arm 12 is'brought into contact with either of the contact-plates 4:, 5, or 6 at the main station or substations, all of the magnets c in the sys tem are energized. All of the helixes c at the several stations are connected in the wirell, which has ground connections at both of its ends. In each of the inlet-tubes B of the several stations is located the contact m, Which is connected to the wire 11 by means of the wires 12 and 13. In the latter wire is the battery 0. WVh'en a carrier enters the inlet-tube B and makes contact with m all of the'helixes c in the system are en-ergized.- There is also in the inlet-tube B a contact n, by means of which the switch of that station is reset or restored to its norm-a1 position.

\Vh'en it is desired to send a carrier from the central or main station E to substation E the gate a is raised and the carrier i-n serted beyond the pin 0. The gate is then closed. The operating-lever b is then raised and contact made with the contact 6 which,

by means of the wire 3, sets the switch at substation E At the same operation the contact-arm 19 makes contact with contactplate 5, sending a current through wire 7 to all of the magnets c in the system, causing them to attract their respective trips 0 a1- lowing the armature c to drop, rendering the line inoperative, as before described. When the carrier enters the inlet-tube of substation IE, it makes contact with the contact m, energizing all of the heliXes c in the system, restoring the system to an operative condition. It also notifies the operator of the arrival of the carrier he has sent. The carrier also makes contact at n, resetting the switch.

When a carrier is sent from substation E to substation E or E the operation is the same as described, or from substation E to substation E but in sending a carrier from substation E to the main or central station E there is no switch to be set and only the line to be locked by contact-plated Thusi-t is easily to'be seen that the switch of a station can be set from any other station in its rear and the system be made inoperative at the same moment of time and remains so until restored by the action of the carrier.

It is obvious that the construction, arrangement, and combination of the parts may be greatly varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a pneumatic-despatch-tube system having stations with receiving and transmitting branch tubes, switches at the junction of the'receiving branch tube and the'mainline tube, and a switch-operating mechanism located at each station provided with electric circuit connection for the switches of all advance stations, substantially as set forth.

2. In a pneumaticdespatch-tube system havingstations with receiving and transmitting branch tubes, a transmitter for the transmitter-tube, switches at the junction of the receiving branch tube and the main-line tube, switch operating locking and unlocking mechanism. located at each station, the looking mechanism being under the control of the switchbperatin'g mechanism and the unlocking mechanism under the control of an arriving carrier, substantially as set forth.

3. In a pneumatic-despatch-tube system, stations provided with the operating-levers b b b and contacts a, e and e in combination with the circuit wires 1, 2 and 3 and switches of the advance stations of the system substantially as set forth.

4:- In a pneumatic-despatch-tube system,

- the operating-levers b b b contact-plates 4c, 5

and 6, provided with circuit-wires in electric circuit with locking mechanism at each station of the system, and contacts in each receiving tube provided with electric circuitwires in circuit with the unlocking mechanism at each station in the system, contact being made by an arriving carrier to establish the circuit to unlock the stations of the system substantially as set forth.

5. In a pneumatic-despatch-tube system, stations havinginlet and outlet tubes, trans mitters provided with locking mechanism, switches at the junction of the inlet-tube and the main line, operating mechanism for said switches constructed to be locked and unlocked, in combination With electric circuit IO connection for the several stations, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES F. PIKE. Witnesses:

v'IHos. S. RODGERS, J OHN H. HUDSON. 

